School gardening highlights of 2023

We asked our school gardening community to share their best moments from this year. From wildflower patches and bug palaces to bountiful harvests and RHS show gardens, 2023 has been full of brilliant achievements.

31 December 2023

Ashton Keynes Primary School

"The children were asked to help people from the our village to plant a new bluebell wood, so of course we said yes."

Winterfold House School

"We harvested leeks, potatoes, onions and carrots then hopped over the fence to cook a soup in a kitchen set up outside. No air miles for this meal… about three metres from ground, to pan, to bellies."

Bishops School 

"Our gardening highlight is finally getting started with our school food forest garden. After lots of planning and thinking, we are finally doing the prep and our first planting has happened - wild garlic bulbs."

Burnwood Community School

"We created a hedgehog home at Whitfield Valley Nature Reserve. This will give our prickly friends a place to hibernate this winter."

Clockhouse Primary School 

"We linked up with the neighbouring church and grew dwarf beans to go with the potatoes we were growing at school. They took them home to share with their families." 

Corbridge Middle School

"The Go Green Gorillas of Corbridge Middle School won the Young Green Briton Challenge with a project involving plant and seed sales and a new wormery. They have raised or won £1,700. They are going to donate £100 each to other schools in the northeast to help them with school gardening."

Edible Rotherhithe

"One of the highlights this year was in the gardening clubs at Surrey Square School with pupils of all ages, growing potatoes and other veg and sharing them with local families at Old Kent Road Family Zone."

Sowerby Primary Academy

"After a couple of years of hard work, the garden is fully back up and running and has achieved Level 5 within the RHS School Gardening Awards scheme. Super proud of all the children and adults that have helped." 

Kamelia Kids Day Nursery & Beach School

"We made a coronation nature throne and 'Bugingham Palace' planted up with sage, mint and thyme, to celebrate National Gardening Week and the King's Coronation."

Kindergarden Cooks 

"Viva Louse Vegas, at Northern Ireland's leading gardening event: Garden Show Ireland." 

Maizie Bate

"Maizie is home schooled and we have achieved Level 2 School Gardening Award so far growing seeds, care for bonsai and Niwaki in our Japanese garden. She has also done topiary work in the cottage garden, used tools on the koi pond filter shed, cleared autumn leaves and planted sky lily and hydrangea." 

Norwell C of E Primary School

"Our fantastic new sign in front of our wildlife and pollinator (and child!) heaven plot. We grew a huge selection of food and edible flowers, herbs etc. we grew rare heritage tall sugar peas, broad beans, yin Yang beans, globe artichokes, Jerusalem artichokes, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, pumpkins, trombonchinos (a great laugh) loads of berries such as tayberries and honey berries. Rhubarb, tree cabbage, spinach, chard, perennial kale, our edible flowers included dahlias, calendula, sweet rocket, the list goes on..."

Our Lady's Catholic Primary School

"Growing our own vegetables, harvesting them and making our own soup."

Parkside Secondary School

"Parkside Secondary School gardening club grew red, blue and white potatoes and enjoyed them as chips. We also grew tiny orange tomatoes. But our highlight of the year was our exhibit at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park."

FARE Lochend Community Allotment

"We grew some really colourful rainbow veggies at FARE Lochend Community Allotment which the Busy Bees harvested. We also had some work experience students helping our nursery children with their plot."

Prestatyn High School

"Building our new greenhouse provided by Keep Wales Tidy, and watching the rain fill the butts."

Redgate Primary School

"One of our favourite gardening club photos ever! All our superstar gardeners busy helping each other with the laborious job of weeding the Redgate Community Allotment."

St Joseph's RC Primary School and Nursery 

"We have recently become members and have transformed the reception garden at our school, created a lunch time gardening club once a week, rejuvenated an old run down green house, planted lots of things ready for spring and harvested lots too. We are so lucky to have two fantastic volunteers. I am so proud of what the children have achieved so far."

St Peter's C of E Primary School

"One of our school produce sales at St Peter’s in Farnham with everything grown and harvested at our school. This was our autumn sale and we also do a huge garden/forest school sale at Christmas."

Oakfield Junior School

"Our school rebuilt the wildlife pond. The children love it."

Woodmansterne School

"Our Year 6 children braving the weather to harvest produce for their 'Dig for Victory' topic. Parents got to take home organic potatoes and beets." 

Staveley CE Primary School

"Selling our own plants grown from seed and achieving Level 3 and 4 RHS School Gardening Awards."

Redwood Park Academy

"We were worried that bird flu would keep our hens cooped up again this winter. So we converted this polytunnel into 'Cluckingham Palace' to keep them warm, entertained and if needs be well contained this year."

Feeling inspired? Why not use some of these ideas in 2024? Here are a few resources to help get you started:

Funding tips

Tips for beginners

Encouraging wildlife

Monthly activities